MUMBAI: In one of the major exits in real estate consultancy space, Anuj Puri, chairman & country head of JLL India has quit the firm. Current Chief Operating Officer & International Director Ramesh Nair will now take over as CEO and Country Head of JLL India.

Puri had joined JLL in 2007 when his company Trammell Crow Meghraj (TCM) merged with the Indian arm of global real estate firm JLL, which went on to become the largest real estate services company on the Indian subcontinent.

“It’s been an incredible 10 years at JLL, but now is the time to step back and reflect before moving in a new direction,” said Anuj Puri. “The company has great leaders who are now at their prime, and it is to such a leader that I pass on the baton. Ramesh Nair has, over the years, taken everything he undertook from strength to strength and has earned his laurels many times over. I’ve worked closely with him for many years, and am confident that he is perfectly placed to spearhead JLL and take it to several new levels."

Nair has a strong reputation for leading teams across JLL India’s various business verticals, and for focus on business growth and the advancement the team members that drive it. A long-term thinker, he has amply demonstrated his capabilities for talent development, strategy and amplification of the Firm’s core values, JLL India said in a release announcing leadership change.

Nair has managed some of the largest profit & loss within JLL India, and has extensive experience in leading teams, change management and servicing domestic and multinational owners, occupiers and investors across multiple asset classes and geographies.

“It’s an absolute honour to be taking over as head of JLL’s India business,” said Ramesh Nair. “I’ve had a fascinating journey with the Firm over the past 17 years, and would like to thank Anuj as well as the regional and India leadership teams for their support and confidence in me to lead JLL, in this exciting phase in India’s economic growth and development. Anuj is a legendary figure within Indian and global real estate, and filling his shoes will certainly be a big task. However, I look forward to working more closely with our clients and teams to produce outstanding outcomes and drive growth to the next level.”

As CEO and Country Head, Ramesh will be responsible for overall direction, strategy and growth of JLL’s India business. He joined JLL in 1999, has risen through the leadership ranks and has been a member of the India Leadership Council since its inception in 2008. In 2013, he was promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer, India and became an International Director in 2014.

“Anuj Puri has been a great asset to JLL over the past 10 years, and has imparted a distinct identity to the Firm due to his large industry stature and contributions. On behalf of the regional and India team, I thank him sincerely for his immense contribution,” says Anthony Couse. “We are fortunate to have a great depth of talent among our India leadership - and an eminently qualified successor in Ramesh Nair, who has been hand-picked and endorsed by Anuj and the regional leadership. Ramesh is known for his persistence, drive, resilience, and energy which he brings to the Firm. I look forward to working with Ramesh closely - and to seeing him put into action exciting new growth plans for our India business, which is almost Rs 3000 crore in size”.

JLL is India’s largest professional services firm specializing in real estate with an extensive geographic footprint across 11 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Chandigarh and Coimbatore. Its total staff strength is over 9,000. The firm provides investors, developers, local corporates and multinational companies with range of services including research, analytics, consultancy, transactions, capital markets, project and development services and integrated facility management, among others.